HD or better quality SD is what freesports needs to improve their reach!?!

Better quality SD for many of the minor channels would be nice.

Move to DVB-S2 8PSK and higher Mbps megabits per second.

There's a whole mix of ways of transmitting if you look down a listing site like Lyng fly kingofsat & doesn't dictate quality

DVB-S2 8PSK suffers lower reception threshold issues so you generally see the FEC dropped to compensate so it loses some of the gains S2 was supposed to deliver .. DVB-S 8PSK is the other way round and can run on much lower FECs so the end result is not that far off although long term better processing might achieve more of what s2 was supposed to do

Final picture quality is much more about production process all the way from can &/or graphics through to transmission including the final bit rate they give it at TX.

I know some Middle East channels that had people struggling to work out if it was sd or HD on about 3.5Mb/s, it was more production quality not so much or not just bit rate.

Probably the paramount channel:-)
And hopefully in the summer itv 2/3/4 HD

The latter of those would be fantastic, I don't know though how long Sky will continue to prop up the PSB's HD offerings for.

Ano M60. I was hoping the summer time when there contract ends with itv encore:-)

Also not sure if you know or heard anything but on another forum someone mentions that Now tv app is coming to freesat 2018 or early 2019 ?? Not sure
But ano even more would leave $ky if it dose.....

I'm afraid you know as much as me. Deals with the likes of VM or Sky are all done behind closed doors but there is likely to be a tie in between the, then, renewal of ITV2/3/4HD and Encore so based on that assume the renewal would occur around the same time. What happens though, if anything, is anyone's guess!

A definite for 2018 - 5PRIME will launch on 16th January 2018 replacing My5. The online catch-up and box-set service My5 will continue.
Although named by Channel5 as a 'premium channel' (a term normally reserved for subscription services) it will be on Freesat channel 133. It will not be a simple rebranding like 5Spike was but will have its own exclusive content. All Channel 5's portfolio television channels will then have the '5' prefix.

Channel 5 announced the rebranding 2 days ago on Twitter:
"Channel 5 today announces 5PRIME, a new premium channel offering high quality factual series, intelligent documentaries and must-watch dramas. 5PRIME features first run originals alongside the finest content and spin offs of its most popular programmes. 5PRIME will showcase a selection of high quality content ranging from factual programmes like Ben Fogle: New Lives in The Wild & GPs: Behind Closed Doors and new commissions like The Secret Life of Owls and new RTE legal drama, Striking Out"

Probably far fewer than in the good years of 2016 and 2017 for a couple of reasons:

1. Freesat's now got most of the good free to air channels already and a lot of the rest are either complete tat or are too broke to afford a second EPG listing;

2. No amount of wishful thinking will undo binding contracts with Sky so neither HD channels nor really popular entertainment channels are going to suddenly appear on Freesat in 2018.

Freesat might very well get the Paramount channel when it starts up and perhaps a combined handful of music channels and possible defections of minor entertainment channels and that'll probably be it. As the song goes, Be thankful for what you've got...

We are going to get Paramount channel, Eden and Good Food possibly might launch on Freesat next year because they have low ratings and watchers.... Radio Cymru 2 is coming next month.... 5 Prime channel should be a good replacement for my5 when it launches next month too, so we have got lots to look forward to on Freesat next year.... Possibly some more music channels might join too, we will see, we might have a surprise channel or two join Freesat next year too we will have to wait and see...

I'm pretty sure at 18 months ago people said everything that was ever likely to be FTA was FTA then UKTV in particular decided otherwise. You never know. No one saw Freesports coming. What I'd like to see myself is another well run film channel, like Talking Pictures but with a different emphasis - esp euro-cinema

We are going to get Paramount channel, Eden and Good Food possibly might launch on Freesat next year because they have low ratings and watchers.... Radio Cymru 2 is coming next month.... 5 Prime channel should be a good replacement for my5 when it launches next month too, so we have got lots to look forward to on Freesat next year.... Possibly some more music channels might join too, we will see, we might have a surprise channel or two join Freesat next year too we will have to wait and see...

With respect, that's speculation without any foundation and no reliable source is saying that so it's perhaps best to concentrate on those that are really likely to arrive, e.g. Paramount. As a rough (but not definite) guide, if it's on Freeview, then there's a good (but not absolute) possibility that it will arrive on Freesat at some stage.

Anyway, quite a bit of Eden-type content can be seen on Yesterday and Freesat already has the good Food Network UK.

We are going to get Paramount channel, Eden and Good Food possibly might launch on Freesat next year because they have low ratings and watchers.... Radio Cymru 2 is coming next month.... 5 Prime channel should be a good replacement for my5 when it launches next month too, so we have got lots to look forward to on Freesat next year.... Possibly some more music channels might join too, we will see, we might have a surprise channel or two join Freesat next year too we will have to wait and see...

With respect, that's speculation without any foundation and no reliable source is saying that so it's perhaps best to concentrate on those that are really likely to arrive, e.g. Paramount. As a rough (but not definite) guide, if it's on Freeview, then there's a good (but not absolute) possibility that it will arrive on Freesat at some stage.

Anyway, quite a bit of Eden-type content can be seen on Yesterday and Freesat already has the good Food Network UK.

Couldnt agree more with you. This year has got to probably be one of the best for FS, particularly with Quest and Dave finally joining. Unless UKTV get the offer of an additional Freeview slot then Eden and Good Food won't appear anytime soon FTA on DSAT. I'm pretty content with the platform's offerings now and, like you say, any further additions are likely to be mediocre budget channels run on a shoestring.

Sony Movie Channel is the last prominent SD DTT service not on Freesat now. What would be good from UKTV is to have all their timeshifts on-board which I'm sure will happen when the time is right!

NOW TV App and Sky Store App might come to Freesat Freetime + with the new Sky/BT deal may change things

Unless Sky are ever clutching at straws to survive, which I can confidently predict won't happen, then Sky won't put it's IPTV services on Freesat.

What will happen in a more general business sense with Sky now Disney are in the frame is yet to be seen but if they do close Sky News, which I can't see personally, then will certainly make a difference to Sky's prominence in the UK generally (plus free up a DTT slot!).